Female Reproductive Cycles of Five Species of Snakes (Reptilia: Colubridae) from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Female reproductive cycles were studied in five species of colubrid snakes from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (Dryadophis melanolomus. Elaphe triaspis, Leptophis mexicanus. Oxybelis aeneus, and Stenorrhina freminvillii). Leptophis mexicanus and Oxybelis aeneus reproduce annually during the rainy sea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biotropica 1988-12, Vol.20 (4), p.326-333
Main Authors: Censky, Ellen J., McCoy, C. J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal reproduction
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Animals
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
Clutch size
Colubridae
Dry seasons
Eggs
Female animals
Follicles
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Ovarian follicles
Reptiles
Reptilia. Amphibia
Snakes
Specimens
Vertebrata
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Summary:Female reproductive cycles were studied in five species of colubrid snakes from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (Dryadophis melanolomus. Elaphe triaspis, Leptophis mexicanus. Oxybelis aeneus, and Stenorrhina freminvillii). Leptophis mexicanus and Oxybelis aeneus reproduce annually during the rainy season (March-October and March-August, respectively). Dryadophis melanolomus also reproduces during the rainy season, but has a biennial cycle. Stenorrhina freminvillii lays two clutches of eggs annually during the dry season (November-April). Elaphe triaspis appears to have aseasonal (continuous) reproduction. Clutch size varies from $\bar{x}$ = 3.1 eggs (D. melanolomus) to $\bar{x}$ = 11.6 eggs (S. freminvillii). The timing of reproductive cycles of these species is compared with the climatic regime of the Yucatan Peninsula, and the significance of adaptation of reproductive cycles to geographic distribution and dispersal is discussed.
ISSN:0006-3606
1744-7429
DOI:10.2307/2388323